Outlander Season 7 Episode 9 “Unfinished Business” ends with the return of a familiar face, alongside a heartbreaking coda. After the rush of seeing Jamie (Sam Heughan), Claire (Caitriona Balfe), and company return to television, the Starz hit series ends the Season 7 Part 2 premiere with a tribute to a fallen friend. Before the credits roll on Outlander Season 7 Episode 9 “Unfinished Business,” we see a message that reads, “In Memory of Our Friend and Colleague John Fadden.”
“That’s absolutely beautiful and a fantastic recognition of his work on the show,” Outlander star John Bell told Decider when we asked him about the tribute in an interview last month.
So who exactly is John Fadden? What was he celebrated for during his life? And how did he shape the world of Outlander we know and love today? And why was John Bell particularly touched by the show’s tribute to Fadden?
Here’s everything you need to know about John Fadden, Outlander‘s advisor on Mohawk history…
Who is John Fadden? All About Outlander‘s Mohawk Consultant:
Per his obituary, John Fadden was an artist and cultural educator best known for his iconically beautiful fine art and for co-founding the Six Nations Iroquois Cultural Center in Onchiota, NY in 1954. Fadden was renowned for his work as an educator, working to not only encourage other artists, but to keep Haudenosaunee history and culture alive.
Prior to working with Outlander on their depiction of the Mohawk, or Kanien’kehà:ka people, Fadden consulted on a number of projects, including films and shows produced by Discovery Channel, PBS, and National Geographic.
On Outlander, Fadden’s knowledge was particularly useful when it came to Young Ian’s storyline. John Bell told Decider that Fadden’s influence helped spark his own “love of indigenous culture.”
“To get to represent the Kanien’kehà:ka people, otherwise known as Mohawk, was an absolute joy,” Bell said. “So it has probably been one of the greatest things that I’m going to take from this show and continue to be an advocate for.
“To be able to to say some words in Mohawk, to be able to learn about the culture, to be able to represent, with a writing team that are dedicated to doing as faithfully and truthfully as possible, and working with elders in the community, was was a joy.”
The Adirondack Daily Enterprise‘s obituary for Fadden described him as being remembered for “kindness, art, teaching.” Although Outlander fans might not have been able to meet the man before his passing in 2022, they can carry his memory through the show’s loving depiction of the Mohawk.
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